A Dog's Life
by Suicune Of Johto
Summary: Tohru has vanished and the Sohmas are desperately looking for her, rechecking the clues of her disappearrance, but no matter how hard they look, the clues will never tell them that she has transformed into a dog and become a prized show & feild Champion.


** Finally I have completed the prologue to the new version of A Dog's Life. I hope to take the story in a somewhat different direction with a few breed changes, but the story will continue to have the same general plot line. I really am sorry for the inconvenience and hope the new version makes up for it. **

**Now that I have gotten that note out of the way I want to explain some differences. Unlike the previous story, this one will revolve around hunting competitions for dogs (hunt tests and field trails) instead of the show ring. If you want to know more about these competitions, just take a look at the AKC web site.**

**Ok, the second main difference is the breed changes. Tohru will now longer be a Doberman and the main reason for this change is because Dobermans cannot compete in hunt tests and field trails. In fact the only breeds that can compete are these: Chesapeake Retriever, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Standard Poodle, Irish Water Spaniel, Curley-Coated Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I have not decided what breed of dog I want Tohru to be yet, but I narrowed it down to two breeds: Golden Retriever or Lab. **

**Now everybody let me know what you think! Should Tohru be a Lab or a Golden? What Color should she be? (Labs-Black, yellow, or Chocolate / Golden- white, gold, or red gold) E-mail me and let me know. **

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**Prologue**

Lighting streaked across the sky fallowed by the roaring sound of thunder that shook the earth. The trees and bushes in Tokyo's business district creaked and moaned in protest as the storm's powerful winds ripped at their leaves and branches. The rain that poured from the dark ominous clouds above was cold and had long ago filled the streets and was currently attempting flood the sidewalks.

This was the greeting Tohru received when she walked outside the building in which she worked. Many would have waited it out, but Tohru had to get home and quick. After all, there were three starving men awaiting her return.

Tohru quickly dashed outside into the freezing rain. It was blinding and stung her skin, but Tohru refused to turn back. After all, cold freezing rain never really hurt anybody right? Ok, maybe that was a lie, but Tohru had already made up her mind and there was no changing it.

About ten minutes into her run home, Tohru decided to take a short cut through a residential neighborhood that had been recently built and now open to the public. The homes there were nice and very traditional unlike most of the homes built within the city limits.

Once in the neighborhood Tohru noticed something white dash between in between two homes just off to her left. She stopped running and stared at the gap between the two homes with curiosity, wondering what it was that had been there just a moment before. When nothing appeared, she simply shrugged and started her run home again.

Suddenly a load single bark echoed throughout the empty street. Tohru stopped running again and looked back towards the gap between the houses. This time there was something there and it was staring her right at her.

"An Akita?" Tohru whispered as she looked the dog up and down. He was beautiful with a black masked face and dark brown pinto markings. Suddenly the dog made a dash right toward Tohru, making load growling like noises.

Panic suddenly gripped Tohru's mind, causing any rationalization she might have had to flee from her like a rabbit would from a hungry wolf. Her mind blank and heart filled with fear, she dashed into the street just as the giant dog reached her. It bit down on her sleeve and started to yank at her clothing ruthlessly.

"Let go!" Tohru cried as she slapped at the growling dog's face. "Please stop!" The sound of a cotton sweater ripping filled the air. She screamed. At the ear piercing sound the Akita released Tohru's clothing causing her to fall backward, right into the path of an oncoming car.

Tohru's eyes went wide at the sickening sound her body made as it collided with the hood of the little blue car which quickly sped off leaving Tohru to die on the cold wet asphalt.

The cold rain pounded Tohru's now limp body as the brown and white dog slowly approached. Cold and in terrible pain, Tohru braced herself for the viscous attack she feared the dog would deliver now that she could no longer defend herself.

"Girl! Girl, are you ok? Can you hear me? What can I do to help you?" A masculine voice asked. It sounded worried, concerned, and _very _close.

Tohru's heart suddenly leapt for joy at the new found hope. She quickly glanced around in hopes of seeing who had offered her assistance but found no one. Confusion started to cloud her mind. Did she imagine someone? Was she hallucinating? Tohru glanced around again but ended up with the same result. She then took notice that the Akita was still walking towards her in a slow pace and she quickly braced herself again.

The voice suddenly spoke again. "I won't hurt you."

Tohru quickly glanced around a third time in search of the voice's owner. What was this person talking about? Hurt her? Why would he think that she was afraid of him? It was the dog she was afraid of! Her mind was starting become fogged with panic again.

"Girl!" the voice called out again in a somewhat annoyed tone. "What can I do to help you?"

Tohru didn't hear the voice this time as she was solely focused on the dog that was virtually on top of her.

"Girl?" Now the voice sounded agitated.

Tohru suddenly attempted to get up and run but her attempt was futile. She collapsed no more than two feet from where she originally had been.

"You stupid idiot, don't move! Who knows what kind of injuries you'll make worse by attempting such a reckless stunts such as that!" the voice growled out.

"Please, whoever you are!" Tohru suddenly screamed. The pain that now coursed through her body from her running attempt was unbearable. "Help me! Please make the scary dog go away and help me out of the road! I implore you!"

The dog suddenly made a sighing motion as if it had come to a conclusion. "Girl, the one speaking to you is the dog and I am sorry if I gave you the wrong impression when I charged you earlier."

Tohru went deathly still. A dog was speaking to her? It was official; the accident had given her brain damage and she was now hearing voices.

"Now I'm going to drag you to that white picket fence over there so you can sit up against it." Tohru's mind didn't have time comprehend the words spoken to her before the Akita grabbed her torn sweater sleeve and gently started to pull her towards the side walk. Pain yet again ripped through Tohru's body causing her to scream as if she was being stabbed.

"Almost there," the dog said through clenched teeth as he gently pulled Tohru up onto the sidewalk.

By the time Tohru was pulled up onto the sidewalk and was leaning up against the small fence the storm's brutal winds had calmed and icy rain had turned into a light sprinkle.

The Akita waited patiently for Tohru's pain to subside some before he decided to speak again. After all it really doesn't make sense to hold a conversation with a person in large amounts of pain because the only answers you'll receive are grunts, incoherent sentences or words, and possible ear piercing screams. "I'm going to go find you some help but before I do I need to warn you."

Tohru slowly lifted her head at the soft spoken words and stared at the brown and white Akita who was watching her attentively. "So the voice really does belong to you doesn't it?"

The dog nodded. "Finally you catch on."

"Hallucinations can't predict the future," Tohru said softly.

"Huh?" The Akita tilted his head in confusion. What in the world was she talking about?

Tohru sensing the dog's confusion decided to explain. "You said that you were going to pull me over to the picket fence which you did." The Akita nodded. "Now if your voice was a hallucination then you never would have helped me."

"Uh, ok." The Akita still didn't have a clue as to what she was babbling on about but as long as she believed that he could talk that was all that mattered. "Anyway, the main reason I had originally sought you out was to warn you."

"Warn me?" Tohru whispered surprised. "What of?"

"Girl, you're under. . . . ."

"Tohru, please call me Tohru."

The Akita grunted in displeasure not liking the fact that he had just been interrupted but let it slide. The girl was going through a lot right now and there was still an endless supply of crap that had yet to hit the fan. There really was no need to get on to her about something so petty. "Ok, _Tohru_, you are under a curse."

Tohru gasped as her mind immediately went to the Sohma family and their curse. Memories of all the pain and agony it caused flooded her mind.

"Very soon you will undergo a transformation form human to K-9. It won't hurt but your life will change drastically. You will lose all ability to speak to the human race but the world of animal speech will be at your disposal. You will start to see and hear things humans are oblivious to."

"But I don't want to be a dog!" Tohru suddenly cried out interrupting the dog again.

The Akita grunted again, but this time in a more sympathetic tone. "I found you to late thus I cannot reverse the curse. It has already entered stage two," the Akita explained. "I'm sorry."

"How long have I been under this curse?" Tohru asked in a soft whisper as she gently rubbed her arms in an attempt to warn her frail and pained body up. The cold weather was starting to take its toll.

The Akita pretended not to notice the girl's futile attempts to warm herself back up as he answered her question. "About a month would be my guess. I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner to reverse the curse, but for some odd reason I couldn't trace you. No doubt the one who cursed you has become wise to my abilities."

"You know who cursed me?" Tohru asked suddenly with some hope. Maybe if this dog knew the caster he could learn how to reverse it somehow. After all Hana's little brother could curse someone just by knowing their name so maybe a curse could be broken in the same general way.

"Yes it can, but only the caster has that ability," the Akita said suddenly bringing Tohru out of her musings. "Besides I only know the caster's essence and that alone is not enough to reverse a curse."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Tohru asked in a spooked tone.

"Because you where thinking out loud."

Tohru suddenly made a soft goofy sounding laugh as she held up her hands in an apologetic motion. "Oh, right. Sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry? Every one does it now and then."

"I know . . . um . . . It's just that . . . So what is a magical essence anyway?" Tohru asked suddenly changing the subject.

The Akita rolled his eyes at the teen's antics as he answered anther one of her questions. "It's like a finger print for magical creatures weather they are human or beast. It cannot be changed or destroyed thus one can always be identified by it. That's how I know who cursed you although I have never seen his real face or know his name."

Tohru sighed and looked up at the sky. "This must be a dream."

"This is no dream, Tohru," the Akita said in a serious tone.

"It must be, because I've been hit by a car, placed under a curse and even holding a conversation with a dog who just ten minutes ago tried to eat me."

"I was not trying to eat you!" the Akita growled out defensively.

Tohru suddenly smiled and chuckled at the dog's reaction before she yawned. The Akita was suddenly watching her very intently.

"Are you getting tired?"

Tohru gave a half smile and answered, "I've been tired all day."

"All day?" The Akita asked tilting his head. "You must be entering the last stage."

"What happens in the last stage?" Tohru asked in a nerves voice.

"The transformation," the Akita answered softly. "But you have to be asleep for it to happen, thus making sleepiness a symptom."

"So that's why I have been so tired lately," Tohru whispered softly as she looked up at the sky again.

"Are you scared, Tohru?"

Tohru glanced at the Akita before she closed her eyes and answered. "A little."

"Just a little?"

Tohru shifted and grunted an incoherent answer.

The Akita sighed suddenly realizing that she was almost asleep and that the curse was about to take full effect. "Goodnight Mrs. Honda and good luck with your new life."

Tohru smiled softly and only wondered for a slight moment on how the Akita knew here last name before sleep took over completely.

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**I know this was short for the amount of time it took me to write it, but I wasn't sure how to go about restarting the story and then I had some writer's block. Anyway, I have a feeling that this story will move a little faster now that I have the prologue written and published. **

**Please R&R and let me know what you think. **


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